He Accepted the Fact
by DaynaJD
Summary: He was never supposed to leave his metal prison. He was never supposed to care, or smile, or love again. He'd been wrong. Slight CainDG.
1. Never Leave

**A/N:** Hello. So, I'm officially obsessed with Tin Man (especially with Cain/DG, it seems). Here's a little story about Cain and a certain dark haired young woman. Enjoy.

**Disclaimer:** Don't own, just obsessed with.

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He Accepted the Fact 

Part 1

He accepted the fact that he would never leave his metal prison. He accepted that he would forever have to watch as everything he held dear was ripped from him. He accepted the fact that they were long dead, that he had failed them. He accepted his punishment, watched as it happened all over again and again and again in a never-ending loop. He accepted his fate, his lot, his burden. So he watched, over and over, as Adora was thrown to the ground, as Jeb was punched across the jaw, and he was powerless to stop it. It was never suppose to end.

Until that day, he couldn't even remember how many annuals after his imprisonment, when she came running into his life, swinging a stick like it would do anything against armed Longcoats. For the first time in a long time, the images stopped, his family and the Longcoats disappearing into a mist. But he didn't dare allow a spark, a feeling he'd long forgotten about, reignite until she made her way to his prison. He didn't believe it, couldn't believe it, until the suit opened and the fresh air stung at his eyes and he could take his first steps forward.

He was never supposed to leave his prison.


	2. Never Care

He Accepted the Fact 

Part 2

He accepted the fact that his heart was locked away. He accepted that it was covered in ice, frozen for all time. He accepted the fact that he didn't really care what happen to anyone else. It was the way he could survive, the only way he could keep going after losing everything. He couldn't care about anything, because if he started caring about one thing, he'd start to care about everything. The only thing that could matter, the only thing he could concentrate on was his revenge. He would kill Zero for what that Longcoat did. He would worry about caring after that.

Except that look she gave he, as she sat in the back of the run-down truck, was burned into his brain. And her words echoed in his mind: "You're not a killer, you're a Tin Man." And something chipped away at his heart. He told her to take care of herself, and he surprisingly meant it. In the few short hours he'd known the kid, she proved to be much more than he ever expected. It wasn't until later, however, sitting in that same broken down truck, when he learned of her capture by Azkadellia, that he realized how big the chip in the armor really was, and how much he was truly coming to care about the well-being of one young woman.

He was never supposed to care again.


	3. Never Smile

He Accepted the Fact 

Part 3

He accepted the fact that his light was gone, had been gone for a long time. He accepted that his reason to smile had died with his wife, his love, his Adora. He accepted that his lips would be forever turned down in a scowl at the world, the cruel, unforgiving world that stole the smile from his lips. There was nothing left to smile about, nothing to laugh at, nothing that shined in his life. Nothing was left except for sarcasm, cynicism, and bitterness.

Until he saw her again, her smile bright when she turned her head at his greeting. He felt the corners of his lips turn up, just a hint of a smile as she launched herself at him, an excited "Cain, you're alive," springing her from lips. For a moment, the smile came unbidden to his face, his lips turning up, his eyes bright. Her arms wrapped around his neck and back, catching him off guard. He'd barely brought a hesitant hand to rest softly against her leather jacket when her body tensed and she pulled back. He returned to his scowl, but the look she gave him made him wonder if his eyes betrayed him.

He was never supposed to smile again.


	4. Never Love

He Accepted the Fact 

Part 4

He accepted the fact that he would never be whole again. He accepted that half his heart, half his soul, was buried behind that white tree with her. He accepted the fact that he would never love another. It was true that he thought her dead for nearly eight annuals, but that spark of hope, that small light reignited when he thought there was even a chance, was enough to crush him again when he found her grave. She was dead, truly dead, and part of him died with her. While his heart soared at the fact that Jeb was alive, and he would thank whoever was listening for the rest of his days for being reunited with his son, part of him was still missing. He would always be incomplete.

Then that girl showed up in his life, with her hugging and her smiles and her courage and her feisty attitude. When he'd been separated from him in the Realm of the Unwanted, he'd feared the worst and his heart ached, a feeling that took him a damn long time to properly identify. Seeing her alive and well after dog-man's warning inspired completely different feelings, most of which he hadn't felt since that fateful day with Zero. While he still missed Adora, still loved her, probably always would, seeing D.G. safe filled in some of the holes in his wounded heart. Slowly, as he held her in his arms, he was being put back together.

He was never supposed to love again.

He was never supposed to live again, but he'd been wrong. As he looked across the chambers at the young woman who'd broken the barrier and mended his fractured heart, he accepted the fact that he'd been dead wrong.

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**A/N:** Hope you liked it. Thanks to everyone who read and double thanks to everyone who reviewed. :D


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